MEME Marketing: A Paradigm Shift in Brand Communication: FGCs and UGCs on Brands at Different Stages Impacting Brand Perception and Conversion.

Abstract

Meme marketing has emerged as a transformative force within brand communication, integrating deeply into popular culture through its extensive use on social media platforms. This research investigates the impact of meme marketing on brand trust, employing a quantitative approach with data collected from 100 respondents across various Indian cities, targeting Millennials and Zillennials. The study is grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, which is utilized to analyze the relationship between consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions in the context of meme culture adoption for branding purposes.

The research identifies a critical gap in existing literature, where the qualitative dimensions of consumer engagement—particularly the nature and forms of content and behavior that drive engagement with brands on digital platforms—have been insufficiently explored. The findings demonstrate that meme marketing functions as a potent tool for conveying brand information, providing entertainment, and fostering consumer engagement, all of which significantly influence brand perception. A strong correlation is observed between brand perception and brand experience, with meme marketing playing a pivotal role in creating social influence that can either enhance or undermine brand equity.